Chapter 46: The Second Piece (5)

[46] 7. The Second Piece (5)

Today is August 16th.

Do you even know what this means?

You don’t?

Oh, the tragedy of the ignorant! How pitiful is this lack of knowledge! To think that you don’t know this amazing fact!

But it’s okay.

Ignorance is not an incurable disease. You can just keep this fact in mind from now until the day you die.

So, open your ears and listen!

Today, August 16th, is…

The day the stars in the sky sing their most beautiful song.

A day that will forever be remembered in history.

A day that even God can’t help but commemorate.

In other words,

It is the day that I, Parsley, the most brilliant jewel of this era,

A single blossom of refined beauty in the magic tower,

A girl so perfect that even jealousy cannot touch her,

…was born into this world!

Ah, please hold back your tears of joy! I already know how fortunate this world is to have me.

Besides, there are already plenty of people who will cry on your behalf.

Like, for example… the girl walking toward me.

Seeing Marianne walking toward me from across the hallway, I smiled. I raised my chin proudly and approached her.

Come on! Applaud!

Be moved by my arrival in this world!

Gifts? Such things are unnecessary for someone as great as me!

The laughter and awe of you ignorant masses is enough to my grand spirit!

So…

“What’s with you and that arrogant posture?”

“H-Huh…?”

Her unexpected reaction surprised me. She gave me an annoyed look and added,

“You’re going to Professor E-Mali’s class, right? Let’s go together.”

“Uh, sure…”

I nodded without thinking and walked beside her, trying to calm my confused mind.

Just what the hell was going on?

Has time twisted to the point that my birthday is no longer today?

Or… Could she… Have forgotten my birthday?

…

No, that’s impossible!

How could Marianne, the girl who has called herself my best friend since we were five, forget my birthday?

It must just be that she was so busy that she forgot what day it was. That much was evident from the dark circles under her eyes.

She’ll probably turn white and apologize for her mistake when I tell her what day it is.

I felt a smile tugging at my lips.

“Marianne, it’s August 16th today, right?”

Now, Marianne’s face will be full of regret and apologies. She’ll kneel before me and beg my forgiveness…

“Yeah, so what?”

A surge of shock ran through me.

Seriously?

She doesn’t remember my birthday?

Marianne, as if to confirm my doubts, added,

“…Sorry, but can you get to the point? I’m really tired because I stayed up all night.”

There was a hint of irritation in her voice.

In that instant, my shock turned into fury.

I feel heat rising to the nape of my neck. My cheeks are filled with air, bursting with words left unsaid.

What a great betrayal!

I accepted her as a friend despite her being Drubis’s daughter. And she had the audacity to forget my birthday?!

And I even prepared a three-tier cake for *her* birthday! I even included a letter three scrolls long!

That does it!

From now on, I won’t consider her my best friend anymore!

From now on, I won’t even smile at her. I’m not going to share my class notes anymore!

Right here and now, I hereby declare a cold and distant line drawn between us!

Besides, Marianne was no longer my *only* friend.

I looked at my second, no, now *my* only best friend, who was approaching from the opposite direction.

He had an oversized robe, slightly wavy black hair,

and eyes that always seemed to be fixed on something far away.

Rem.

Our first meeting was certainly the worst. And even now, he was closer to a bad influence than a true friend because he had yet to learn basic manners.

But in the past four months, Rem and I had formed a considerable bond.

We spent about a sixth of our day together, sometimes pulling all-nighters studying.

Well, he still refuses to tell me anything about his past. But I, in turn, had told him about mine.

If understanding each other is the foundation of a relationship,

then ours, however unbalanced, was definite and solid.

And most importantly, Rem, unlike Marianne, wasn’t a fool.

If it came to just talent, he was a genius comparable to me.

He would not have forgotten my birthday.

I straightened up.

Come on, shower me with the praise I deserve…!

“What’s she doing?”

“I don’t know. She’s been acting strange all morning.”

It seems that the sound of common sense shattering sounds like human voices.

I looked at Rem and Marianne with my mouth agape. They were both staring at me as if I *were* crazy. I wondered if my senses were failing me.

But it was only for a brief moment.

Right, friendship is nothing but an illusion.

“Parsley? Parsley!”

“Where are you going? Hey! Hey!!”

I ignored the shouts of my friends. I walked down the hallway, my foot stomping loudly.

In the end, the only true relationship is family.

Not something as intangible as friendship. They’re connected by something as concrete as blood.

Puffing out my cheeks, I headed for Mother’s office.

To see someone who, at least, hasn’t forgotten my birthday.

***

The time I could spend with my mother had been dramatically reduced since she became the tower master.

It was hard to see her even once a week, and she would sometimes leave for months.

And nothing had changed, even after I followed her and joined the academy.

Would you believe if I said that the time I spent looking at her while she was giving her speech on the podium at the entrance ceremony was longer than the total amount of time I had spent with her for the past two months?

But I understood.

Mother was a leader who taught and guided everyone in this massive tower.

Her work was noble, and it wouldn’t be right of me to whine about it.

Besides, she wasn’t entirely ignoring me.

One day, just one day, every year.

My birthday.

Mother would push aside all her work on that day and spend it solely on me. She would hold my hand and take me out for dinner. She would listen to my pointless chatter.

It was only three hours, at most, but still…

In that brief time, I could be the happiest person in the world.

To the point where the betrayal of my friends didn’t matter.

…I just… wanted to act a bit spoiled.

Normally, I’d knock and wait for my mother’s permission. No, if it hadn’t been for the betrayal of my friends, I *would* have.

But my emotions had gotten ahead of me.

I forgot to knock and opened the door to her office.

“…Ms. Parsley?”

And I realized that someone else had beaten me to it.

He had gentle eyes and neatly trimmed mustaches.

He was a middle-aged man who, at least on the surface, seemed decent and upright.

Drubis. Mother’s political rival.

My surprised cooled and a cold feeling settled in my stomach.

But Drubis simply gave me a friendly smile.

“Well, this is a surprise. Was it during the last regular exams that I last saw you?”

“Y-Yes…”

“I’ve already told you this, but I’m grateful that you get along so well with my daughter, Marianne. She’s a bit shy, you see, and…”

“Parsley.”

It was a voice as sharp as a honed blade. Feeling my heart freeze, I looked at Mother.

She had a hardened expression.

“Leave. We’re discussing important matters.”

“Y-Yes, I-I’m sorry…”

I nodded and turned.

But there was a strong arm in front of me, blocking my way.

“No, I’ll take my leave.”

Drubis Smiling kindly at me, then looked back at Mother.

“Isn’t it your daughter’s birthday? I shouldn’t be interfering with family time.”

“We’re not finished.”

“I am.”

His tone was soft yet firm. Looking at Mother, he continued,

“As I’ve already stated, I don’t doubt your skills. You are, without a doubt, the greatest mage of this era.”

His eyebrows furrowed.

“However, leading people requires not just rationality, but also warmth. And that’s something you lack.”

“You have a lot to say.”

Mother retorted coldly, and Drubis smiled bitterly.

“Which is why I have nothing more to say.”

As if the matter were settled, he turned his back on Mother. Looking at me, he patted my shoulder with an apologetic smile.

“I apologize, Ms. Parsley.”

And with that, he was gone.

Immediately after, what naturally followed was an icy silence.

Mother glared at the spot where Drubis had left. I just stood there awkwardly, trying to gauge her mood.

There were two reasons for this.

One was to receive a scolding for my rude behavior. After all, it’s only natural for one to be punished for *one’s* wrongdoing.

And the other was… hope

That maybe after giving me a lecture, she would spend some time with me. Maybe, with a smile, she’d give me a hug.

Because today was my birthday.

“Parsley, didn’t I tell you to leave?”

But a moment later, another dismissal order flowed from my mother’s lips

I could hear something breaking somewhere.

“…Yes.”

I barely managed to nod and forced my feet to move.

It was only for a brief moment.

Once I wait outside, Mother will come back out soon, and take me to dinner.

And there I’ll be able to tell her how great the betrayal of my friends were.

It’s what we’d always done on my birthday.

“And I had someone deliver your birthday present and dinner expenses. You’ll find them in front of your room. You’re on your own. I’m busy today.”

My footsteps halted.

Before I knew it, I turned back to my mother. Words bubbled up from my throat like foam.

“B-But… On my birthday, we always…”

“Parsley, you’re an adult now.”

My Mother, with a tired look on her face, kept her gaze fixed on the documents. She spoke to me without even looking at me.

“From now on, take care of your birthday yourself.”

***

When I came to my senses, I was in a hallway bathed in moonlight.

I couldn’t tell how long I’d been walking. Nor did I even know where I was.

All I could guess was that the magic tower’s hallway, having sensed my desire to be alone, was guiding my feet to a deserted corridor.

I carefully sat down on the windowsill, where the moonlight was streaming in. Covering my face with my hands, I tried to gather my thoughts.

Yes, this is a sign of recognition!

My mother recognized that I have matured! I am no longer a child who needs her to take care of me! I have grown into a person worthy of being treated as an equal!

And at such a young age, too!

How befitting of the genius of the century!

I have proven my superiority once more!

Rejoice!

Applaud!

Be in awe…

Be…

I…

…

I tightened the grip on my hands that were covering my face.

These were all pathetic defense mechanisms.

I’m not a genius.

Top student of the Academy?

I had placed last when I had first enrolled. I got to the top only after giving up on sleep.

All because I wanted to be praised by my mother.

All because I wanted her to look at me at least once.

Even so, she never did.

Why?

The answer was clear.

Because I’m a pathetic human being.

Because I’m a failure, unworthy of even being compared to my brilliant mother.

I couldn’t accept that, so I embellished myself, calling myself the genius of the century, the brightest mind of this era, all those embarrassing titles.

Simply put… I was *pretending* to be a genius.

…Isn’t it common to play a character when you hate yourself?

But all performances are just façade, a mask that will inevitably be taken off.

It was simply my misfortune that it happened on my birthday.

I got down from the windowsill and started walking toward my room.

I didn’t care, I just wanted to rest for today.

There’s nothing for me to do anyway. My only two friends have even forgotten my birthday.

Fortunately, my room was not that far.

Letting out a sigh, I grabbed the doorknob.

I’ll just bury myself in my bed and start making up new, absurd titles. Once I cry my eyes out, maybe *I’ll* then feel a bit better. Maybe then I’ll be able to pretend to be a genius again.

…However long it might last.

With that, I opened the door.

And,

*Pop-!*

*Whiz-!*

“Happy birthday!!!”

A shower of confetti rained down. Birds made of fire darted between them.

My room, decorated with all sorts of ornaments, came into view. Everything was decorated in colors so childish that It seemed childish

And in the middle of it all, before a 5 tier cake that nearly touched the ceiling, were my two best friends, with a bright smile on their faces.

Marianne was wearing ridiculous glasses with a hooked nose, and

Rem had a strange, wooden mask that I don’t recognize over his face.

Their expressions turned to confusion as they saw my blank face.

“Su… Surprise…?”

“Don’t tell me…you knew all along…?”

“…”

To be honest, it was ridiculously childish.

A scene so childish that only a five-year-old girl might dream of it.

Embarrassing, silly, foolish.

But what *was* this warmth welling up in my throat?

“Uh… Huh…? Is she… crying?”

“P-Parsley… Are you okay…?”

“See, that’s why I told you not to throw a surprise party. Why did we have to pretend not to remember my birthday?”

“But you said it would be fun!”

“I said it would be fun, but I didn’t say we should actually do it, right? Hey, Parsley, know this. I was going to pretend I knew your birthday, okay? This is all Marianne’s…! Ow!”

“Parsley, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

I rushed towards Marianne. I could see her looking flustered, but I didn’t care and hugged her. I buried my face in her chest and tried to hold back my tears.

“Pa-Parsley…?”

An awkward silence filled the room.

But then it softened as Marianne said softly.

“Happy birthday, Parsley.”

I couldn’t hold it back anymore, and tears burst from my eyes.